Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

The moment she uttered the word "want," it seemed as if all her strength had been drained away. Her body swayed slightly, and tears finally broke free, streaming down her pale cheeks.

It's not sadness, but a catharsis after long-term suppression, a trembling and relief as if one is completely exposing one's most vulnerable and humble desires to others and awaiting judgment.

Lin Xia looked at her gushing tears, and the usual calm expression on his face finally changed slightly.

It wasn't about being moved, but rather a sense of satisfaction after the goal was confirmed and obstacles were cleared.

The corners of his mouth curved upwards in a very faint, yet exceptionally clear, arc.

This smile dispelled the heavy shadow that had enveloped Lin Ling, bringing a touch of warmth and new life.

"That's good enough."

His voice regained its usual calmness, yet carried an undeniable power of commitment, echoing clearly in the silent training room.

"I just want to. Don't worry."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Lin Ling's heterochromatic eyes, which were filled with tears but dared to look him in the eye for the first time.

"Afterwards, I will help you with your cultivation."

Help...cultivation?
These four words are like a divine revelation!
Lin Ling was completely stunned.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she forgot to let them fall.

Those heterochromatic eyes widened to their limit in an instant, as if stars were exploding and reassembling deep within the pupils!

The ice in the blue eyes shattered completely, turning into a clear, vast ocean.

The dawn in his golden eyes suddenly became intense, like the midday sun!

That light was pure, newborn, and filled with a tremendous sense of bewilderment and ecstasy!

She seemed completely oblivious to the weight of this promise, staring blankly, almost greedily, at Lin Xia's calm and expressionless face, as if she wanted to engrave these words, this smile, this promise, along with the name "Lin Ling," deep and permanently into the deepest part of her soul!

"Lin...Ling..."

She silently repeated her name again, in a breathy voice, as if confirming the authenticity of this unexpected sense of belonging and hope.

Immediately afterwards, a surge of gratitude that almost overwhelmed her and an indescribable sense of belonging suddenly broke down all her defenses.

She is no longer a nameless, worthless commodity that can be discarded at any time.

She is Lin Ling!

It was Lin Xia who personally named him and promised to help him!
The impact of this realization shook her deep-seated inferiority complex more directly than any other force.

She could no longer hold back, and a suppressed sob escaped her throat. Her body leaned forward, no longer a humble cowering, but with a desperate piety and dependence, her forehead slamming heavily against the cold ground in front of Lin Xia's feet!

This time, it was no longer the desperate surrender seen in the auction house, but rather the most instinctive and thorough submission of a newborn chick to its protector!
"Thanks……"

Broken words, choked with sobs, were finally squeezed out with difficulty.

Lin Xia looked at the trembling white figure at her feet but did not immediately go to help.

He understood that these emotions needed to be released.

He simply stated the next step calmly:
"Half-level soul power is a low starting point. But in this world, there are no absolute limits that cannot be broken."

His tone carried a powerful confidence stemming from his own experiences.

He recalled the miracle of how he had soared from the eighth to the tenth level of the Innate Realm in half a month by relying on the unbelievable method of eating minerals, and he also thought of the amazing potential that Zhu Zhuqing had shown in her Netherworld Cat form under his guidance.

"I will find a suitable path for you. It may be a special cultivation method, or it may be... guidance from external objects." His gaze swept casually over the storage soul tool on his finger, where even a titled Douluo would take notice of a divine dragon bone and a tear of star core containing the origin of stars.

These resources are enough to defy common sense.

"Right now, you need to rest and get yourself in good shape. You can start your cultivation tomorrow."

His words, carrying an undeniable air of arrangement, brought to a close the evening's interlude.

Lin Ling nodded vigorously, her forehead leaving a damp mark as it left the cold ground.

She remained kneeling, gazing up at Lin Xia, tears still streaming down her face. But in her heterochromatic eyes, the despair of despair had been completely replaced by a burning light called hope.

Zhu Zhuqing watched this scene silently, a complex emotion flashing deep within her cool cat-like eyes.

She recalled the scene when Lin Xia pulled her out of the cold mire of the Xingluo Zhu family.

At this moment, Lin Ling seemed to be a microcosm of her past self, yet also seemed to have an additional future that even she had never fully possessed, a future that Lin Xia had so clearly promised her.

She pursed her lips slightly, but ultimately said nothing. She simply shifted her gaze back to the moonlight outside the window, but her straight back seemed even more tense than before.

Ning Rongrong blinked her large, glassy eyes, looked at Lin Ling, then at Lin Xia, and finally stuck out her tongue at Meng Yiran, her little face full of "I knew it" expressions.

The next morning, the terrace of the VIP area of ​​the Heaven Dou Royal Academy was still shrouded in a thin mist. Lin Xia was reading a scroll about the energy transmission of soul tools in the morning light.

A measured knocking sound came from outside the door—three light knocks followed by one heavy one—a secret signal unique to the royal guards.

Zhu Zhuqing silently opened the door, and the morning light outlined Xue Qinghe's gentle and refined figure. Behind him followed a servant with lowered eyes, holding a sandalwood box.

"Good morning, Lord Lin."

Xue Qinghe smiled warmly, his gaze sweeping over the storage soul tool that Lin Xia was rubbing between her fingers.

"Yesterday, when Your Majesty Yue Guan's letter was mentioned, I immediately ordered someone to find it."

The servant stepped forward in response, and the moment the box lid was opened, a rich, fresh scent of herbs and plants filled the room.

The box contained not books, but seven translucent jade pieces with pale golden patterns flowing on their surfaces. These were living illustrations sealed by the Spirit Hall using a special spirit skill. Each jade piece contained three-dimensional images of dozens of immortal herbs, with roots and veins clearly visible, and even faint fluctuations of spirit power could be sensed.

Lin Xia brushed her fingertips across the jade piece, and a glint of light flashed in her eyes as she looked up.

"Your Highness is truly sincere."

With a flick of his sleeve, three objects landed on the table.

One is a palm-sized rhomboid metal block with a honeycomb-shaped soul-guided array embedded on its surface.

A compass-shaped object with liquid mithril suspended in its center.

Finally, there was a dark gold cylindrical object, less than a foot long, with no gaps throughout.

"The Spirit Storage Core can provide enough power for a Soul Douluo's full-force attack with a single charge."

Lin Xia pointed at the metal block, and the honeycomb array lit up with a faint blue vein.

"The mineral exploration instrument can detect rare mineral veins within a hundred miles."

As he spoke, the mithril coalesced into an arrow, pointing directly towards Gengjin City. When he finally picked up the cylindrical object, Xue Qinghe's pupils constricted—it was a miniature version of the pistol from yesterday's blueprints!
"This item is called Sleeve Star, propelled by gunpowder, capable of breaking through the defenses of a Soul Douluo within thirty paces. It includes ten gunpowder formulas and one hundred projectiles."

Lin Xia pushed a storage ring next to the box; the ring was engraved with a Geng metal emblem. (End of Chapter)